'What's her name?'
'Ask her.'
His head moved. 'Is your name Judith Bram?'
That was no news for me, since my view through the open door had included the framed picture of the hackie and her name. As well as I had been able to tell in the dim light, the picture was not of my client.
'No,' she said.
'What is it?'
'Mira Holt. Mira with an I.' Her voice was clear and steady.
'Did you drive that taxi here?'
'No.'
'Did you come here in it?'
'No.'
So she had picked method three, a simple basic lie.
'Did you have an appointment to see Nero Wolfe?'
'No.'
'Where do you live?'
'Seven-fourteen East Eighty-first Street.'
'What is your occupation?'
'Modeling. Mostly fashion modeling.'
'Are you married?'
'Yes, but I don't live with my husband.'
'What's your husband's name?'
She opened her mouth and closed it again. 'Waldo Kearns. I use my own name.' <
'Are you divorced?'
'No.'
'Was that taxi here when you arrived?'
'I don't know. I didn't notice, but I suppose it was because it didn't come after we sat down.'
'How did you come here?'
'I don't think that matters.'
'I'll decide if it matters. How did you come?'
Method Three for Murder 73
She shook her head. 'No. For instance, if somebody drove me here, or near here, you would ask him, and I might not want you to. No.'
So she also knew what 'no trimmings' meant.
'I advise you,' Cramer advised her, 'to tell me how you came.'
'I would rather not.'
'What was the bet you wanted to consult about?'
'That doesn't matter either. It was a private bet with a friend.' Her head turned. 'You're a detective, Mr. Goodwin, so you ought to know, do I have to tell him about my private affairs just because I was sitting here with you?'
'Of course not,' I assured her. 'Not unless he shows some con' nection between your private affairs and his public affairs, and he hasn't. It's entirely up to you whether--'
'What the devil is all this?' Nero Wolfe bellowed.
I twisted around and so did my client. The door was wide open and he was standing on the threshold, his bulk towering above us. 'What's going on?' he demanded.
Since I was merely an ex-employee and Cramer was an inspector I thought it fitting to let him reply, but he didn't. Apparently he was too flabbergasted at seeing Wolfe actually stick his nose outdoors. Wolfe advanced a step. 'Archie. I asked a question.'
I had stood up. 'Yes, sir, I heard you. Miss Holt, this is Mr. Wolfe. Miss Mira Holt. When I left the house she was coming up the steps. I had never seen her before. When I told her I was no longer in your employ she said I would be better than you and asked to consult me. She has paid me. We sat down to confer. There was an empty taxi parked at the curb, no driver in it. A police car came along and stopped, and a cop found a dead body, female, in the taxi under a piece of canvas. I was there looking in when he removed the canvas. I came back up the stoop to sit with my client. We recessed our conference to watch the proceedings. Officers arrived promptly, including Inspector Cramer. When he got around to it he came and questioned us. I knew nothing about the taxi or its contents and said so. She told him she had not driven the taxi here and hadn't come in it. She gave him her name and address and occupation, but refused to answer questions about her
